Heat by Mike Lupica
/Papi was the first to tell Michael Arroyo he had the arm. He once knocked out a thief throwing a baseball from the pitcher’s mound to dead center field. He and Papi dreamed about going to the Little League World series, shown on ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports. Michael is so close to his dream now. He just needs to get his team through the district finals, but there is a problem. Michael is good – too good. Rival coaches and players can’t believe a boy could be this good and only be twelve years old. They ask to see his birth certificate, but it’s back in Cuba, Michael’s homeland. If the people from social services find out his secret, he’ll be separated from the only family he knows, his older brother Carlos.